“If you build it, they will come” is the stuff of developers’ dreams in San Francisco and environs. These 7-by-7 (or so) square miles can be counted on, by some, to support construction, and then some. Take, for example, plans to put up 12,000 new homes on a former nuclear test site in Hunters Point — more housing, yay. (Business Insider). But — oops — the Navy found out that the contractor hired to clean up the toxics allegedly botched the job at the naval shipyard site, potentially delaying the housing project. (San Francisco Chronicle). Housing aside, other dreams include creating a potential tourist magnet: an $18 million fishing and sightseeing pier at the nexus of the eastern span of the Bay Bridge and Yerba Buena Island. (San Francisco Chronicle). Speaking of tourists, however, who knows how long their love affair with San Francisco will last in light of grim news that they’ve been sort of grossed out by some city sights that have been described as Tiffany’s and tents. Neiman Marcus and needles. Macy’s and mental illness. (San Francisco Chronicle). A further blemish on this fine city is the report that property crimes are up, way up, bucking a national trend (as this city tends to do). The feds say that property crimes dropped 2.9 percent nationwide in 2017, but in San Francisco, thanks to car break-ins and other nonviolent property crimes, these crimes were up 21 percent (San Francisco Examiner). Sounds like there’s a lot of broken glass on the streets.
Hey, It’s Politics
- The ins and outs of city politics can sometimes resemble a blood sport, especially in the context of how San Francisco acquired its newest interim mayor. But was Board of Supervisors President London Breed given a raw deal? Here are some opinions: “Black Women on London Breed: Robbed of Mayorship or Rightly Dethroned?” (San Francisco Examiner).
- And what about interim Mayor Mark Farrell? He has his fans, clearly, like the police. “SF Police Union Prefers Contract Negotiations Under Interim Mayor Farrell” (San Francisco Examiner).
Turning Right on the Left Coast
- It’s not all liberal groupthink in California. The right-wing haters made their presence known when Identity Evropa, a white nationalist group that describes itself as “awakened Europeans,” recently draped a banner over part of the Bay Bridge that read: “Danger Sanctuary City Ahead.” “White Nationalists Hang Sanctuary City ‘Danger’ Sign Over SF Bay Bridge” (San Francisco Examiner); “Anti-Immigrant Banner Slapped Onto Bay Bridge” (SF Weekly).
- And there’s a lot of life in the anti-abortion cause here: The Walk for Life, an annual anti-abortion march, attracted large crowds to San Francisco’s Civic Center recently. “San Francisco Anti-Abortion March Draws Thousands of Participants” (San Francisco Examiner).
- Still, California does skew blue, so if you’re tired of all that, help is on the way from Paul Chabot. He founded Conservative Move, a company that helps disgruntled Californians start new lives in red states. Says Chabot: “Politics is what has really ruined the state,” and we don’t think he’s talking about the conservative kind. “California Haters” (California Sun).
Take the Keys?
Cannabis is now legal in our great state, but hey, are you safe to drive after smoking that joint? Say hello to the roadside sobriety test. “Recreational Marijuana Is Legal in California, But Stoned Driving Is Still Hard to Detect” (Sacramento Bee).
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